How do bees survive the winter? How to feed?

Bees are warm-blooded animals and need to survive at a suitable temperature. In winter, in order for the bees to survive the winter safely, adequate preparations need to be made. So how do bees survive the winter? How to feed? Let’s take a look below.

1. How do bees survive the winter?

1. Hibernation of honey bees

Bees enter a special dormant state during the winter called hibernation. In this state, the bee's metabolism slows down, its body temperature drops, its heartbeat slows, and its breathing becomes very light. This allows the bees to survive in cold environments.

2. Bees’ food reserves

Before winter comes, bees try to store enough pollen and nectar. These stored foods provide the bees with the energy they need during hibernation. In addition, bees convert some of their stored food into honey as a food source during hibernation.

3. Honey bees’ warmth-keeping measures

Bees take some measures to keep warm in winter to cope with the cold environment. For example, worker bees will pile up some wood chips, bark and other materials in the hive as an insulating layer to maintain the temperature inside the hive. At the same time, drones and queen bees huddle together to share body temperature and reduce heat loss.

2. How to feed bees in winter?

1. Maintain the temperature of the hive

In winter, make sure the temperature in the hive is comfortable. Generally speaking, the temperature of the beehive should be maintained between 5-15 degrees Celsius. The thermal insulation effect of the honeycomb can be improved by adding windshields around the honeycomb and thickening the thermal insulation materials.

2. Supplement nutrients

In winter, bees' metabolism slows down and their need for nutrients decreases accordingly. Therefore, when feeding bees in winter, be careful not to overfeed. The amount of feeding can be appropriately increased before the arrival of spring to ensure that the bees can quickly replenish their nutrition after they regain their vitality in the spring.

3. Check the hive condition

When feeding your bees during the winter, also check the condition of the hive regularly. If you find water accumulation, mildew, etc. in the beehive, clean it up and replace the insulation material in time to prevent the bees from being adversely affected.

4. Maintain adequate water supply

In winter, bees' need for water decreases. However, in order to prevent bees from dying from lack of water, it is still necessary to ensure that there is sufficient water in the hive. Adequate water supply can be ensured by increasing the number of water storage tanks, adjusting the water storage location, etc.

In short, bees go into hibernation during the winter and survive the cold season by storing food and keeping warm. When feeding bees in winter, you should pay attention to maintaining the temperature of the hive, replenishing nutrients, checking the condition of the hive, and maintaining sufficient water sources to ensure that the bees spend the winter safely.